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2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test

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The 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test was conducted by China on January 11, 2007. A Chinese weather satellite—the FY-1C polar orbit satellite of the Fengyun series, at an altitude of 865 kilometres (537 mi), with a mass of 750 kg[1]—was destroyed by a kinetic kill vehicle traveling with a speed of 8 km/s in the opposite direction[2] (see Head-on engagement). It was launched with a multistage solid-fuel missile from Xichang Satellite Launch Center or nearby.

Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine first reported the test. The report was confirmed on January 18, 2007 by a United States National Security Council (NSC) spokesman.[3] At first the Chinese government did not publicly confirm whether or not the test had occurred; but on January 23, 2007, the Chinese Foreign Ministry officially confirmed that a test had been conducted.[4] China claims it formally notified the U.S., Japan and other countries about the test in advance.[5] The Chinese claim is consistent with a sharp rise in queries from American sites concerning FY-1C on at least one space-related Web site starting about 24 hours before the actual intercept.[citation needed]

It was the first known successful satellite intercept test since 1985, when the United States conducted a similar anti-satellite missile test using a ASM-135 ASAT to destroy the P78-1 satellite.[6]

The New York Times,[7] Washington Times[8] and Jane's Intelligence Review[9] reported that this came on the back of at least two previous direct-ascent tests that intentionally did not result in an intercept, on July 7, 2005 and February 6, 2006.[10]

Consequences of the test

Known orbit planes of Fengyun-1C debris one month after its disintegration by the Chinese ASAT

Several nations responded negatively to the test and highlighted the serious consequences of engaging in the militarisation of space. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao stated, "There's no need to feel threatened about this" and argued that "China will not participate in any kind of arms race in outer space."[11][12] Ironically, China had been long advocating to ban space weapons, which had been rejected by the United States under George W. Bush.[7]

Anti-satellite missile tests, especially ones involving kinetic kill vehicles as in this case, contribute to the formation of orbital space debris which can remain in orbit for many years and could interfere with future space activity.[6] The test is the largest recorded creation of space debris in history with at least 2,317 pieces of trackable size (golf ball size and larger).[13]

The United States of America had not tested an anti-satellite weapon since 1985. In February 2008 the US launched its own strike to destroy a malfunctioning US satellite, which demonstrated to the world that it also had the capability to strike in space, though at a much lower altitude than the Chinese test. The US claims that the strike was not a military test but a necessary mission to remove a faulty spy satellite. [14]

In April 2011, debris from the Chinese test threatened the International Space Station. [15]

Weaponry

The Chinese anti-satellite system has been named by the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Michael Maples, in a Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing as the SC-19.[16] The SC-19 has been described as being based on a modified DF-21 ballistic missile or its commercial derivative, the KT-2 with a Kinetic Kill Vehicle mounted. The ASAT kill vehicle relies on an imaging infrared seeker and also has been described as a modified HQ-19 surface-to-air missile. The program is said to have been at least partially funded by China's 863 Program (specifically, the 863-409 focus area).[17] The closing velocity of the intercept was approximately 18,000 miles per hour, comparable to the American National Missile Defense system.[18]

A sample image taken by FY-1C. Received by the Center for Earth Observing and Space Research at George Mason University.[19]

International response

  •  United Kingdom – A spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair told reporters that British officials had raised the matter with China. "We are concerned about the impact of debris in space and we expressed that concern," he said. However he also said that "We don't believe that this does contravene international law".[21]
  •  United States – National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe, who confirmed that the test had occurred, stated that the United States "believes China's development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation that both countries aspire to in the civil space area."[3][22]

The Outer Space Treaty banned weapons of mass destruction in orbit and outer space but does not ban conventional weaponry in orbit. It is ratified by 98 countries, including China, and signed by 27 others.[23]

The Space Preservation Treaty has been proposed to the United States House of Representatives by Congressman Dennis Kucinich four times, as of 15 April 2011, to ban space weapons, however as of April 2011, no country has ratified it.

See also

References

  1. ^ Nicholson, Brendon (January 20, 2007). "World fury at satellite destruction". Melbourne: The Age. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Is China's Satellite Killer a Threat? (Tech Talk) Template:WebCite
  3. ^ a b c BBC News (2007). Concern over China's missile test. Retrieved January 20, 2007. Template:WebCite
  4. ^ "China admits satellite shot down". BBC News. 2007-01-23. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2007-01-23. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "China confirms anti-satellite missile test". London: The Guardian. 2007-01-23. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2007-01-23. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b Covault, Craig (2007-01-21). "China's Asat Test Will Intensify U.S.-Chinese Faceoff in Space". Aviation Week. Retrieved 2007-01-21.
  7. ^ a b Gordon, Michael R.; Cloud, David S. (2007-04-23). "U.S. Knew of China's Missile Test, but Kept Silent". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
  8. ^ "Officials fear war in space by China". The Washington Times. 2007-01-24. Archived from the original on 2007-01-26. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
  9. ^ "Space to manoeuvre - Satellite attack upsets US space supremacy". Jane's Intelligence Review. 2007-02-07. Retrieved 2007-02-19. Or see archived version: WebCite query result
  10. ^ Joan Johnson-Freese. Heavenly Ambitions: America's Quest to Dominate Space. p. 12
  11. ^ "China says space programme is no threat". Agence France Presse. 2007-01-19. Retrieved 2007-01-22. [dead link]
  12. ^ New York Times (2007). China Shows Assertiveness in Weapons Test. Retrieved January 21, 2007.
  13. ^ "Chinese ASAT Test". Retrieved 2007-04-18.
  14. ^ "America threatened China over 'star wars'". smh. 2011-02-04. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  15. ^ "NASA monitoring space junk near International Space Station". CNN. 2011-04-05. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
  16. ^ "Senator Clinton Questions Vice Admiral John M. McConnell, USN (ret), Director of National Intelligence and Lieutenant General Michael Maples, USA, the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at a Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on Worldwide Threats". 2007-02-27. Archived from the original on 2007-03-30. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
  17. ^ Ian Easton, The Great Game in Space: China's Evolving ASAT Weapons Programs and Their Implications for Future U.S. Strategy, Project 2049 Occasional Paper, June 24, 2009, p.2., [1] [dead link]
  18. ^ How China Loses the Coming Space War (Pt. 1) Template:WebCite
  19. ^ CEOSR Satellite Receiving Station Template:WebCite
  20. ^ "Sergei Ivanov considers reports on the rocket launch by China, that destroyed a satellite, exaggerated" (in Russian). Voice of Russia. 2007-01-20. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ Agence France-Presse (2007-01-19). "Britain Concerned By Chinese Satellite Shoot-Down". Spacedaily.com. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ Kestenbaum, David (2007-01-19). "Chinese Missile Destroys Satellite in 500-Mile Orbit". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on 2011-02-22. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ Outer Space Treaty. United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs Template:WebCite
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